Hi, my name is Becca I am an artist and type designer who loves to wander and explore…in many different ways and levels. Whether custom letterforms and fonts, knitted items, chainmaille jewelry or hand sewn books, my hands are always creating something. This blog is my way of sharing with the world the curiosities I produce.
If you have any questions about any of my work, please ask! (But be aware it might take me a while to respond).
becca making faces 
Can’t wait till you do another “W”. I needed one today, since I decided not to use WordArt (having been severely chastised for using it by a certain graphic designer!)
love your investigations on bindings
Fantastic mosaic work, where are you exhibiting in the fall?
I looked you up based on Paul Neeley’s recommendation.
Hello Becca !
I´m from Argentina, i´m 39 years old and like very much your blog! You have beautifull designs of stitches!!
I´d like learn the greek and celtic wave binding. Do you have some tutorials of this models?
Thanks you very much!
Alex
Hey Alex! I just realized I’d never responded to you. The Greek and Celtic binds on my site are not my own, they are from this book: http://www.amazon.com/Non-Adhesive-Binding-Vol-Exposed/dp/0963768247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321981445&sr=8-1
I hope that helps!
Hello Becca,
I would like to invite you to contribute to my typographic blog http://www.mytypeof.wordpress.com – I think that the single images you have posted on your blog of NYC typography would make a great post, along with any others you may have. Or perhaps you would like to shows us a typographic tour of your neighbourhood!
You may even wish to submit your own typefaces for our monthy showcase.
By the way, I love the images of the Luther Bible – you may be interested in this post http://lestaret.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/a-genesis-of-sorts/
I hope that you will consider contributing – look forward to hearing from you.
Christopher
I found you book stiches via Pintrest and I love them all! I have been reading through your blog and love your posts. I am in a book arts class and I will be practicing with some of your tutorials! Thank you!
Amanda T.
Your blog features gorgeous, creative work which all others who love book arts can aspire to! Will you be publishing a book of your designs, with more tutorials? Where did you study art?
Thanks, Tammy! Yes, I do hope to one day publish a book with my patterns and tutorials. Not sure how or when, but it IS in the works. I’ll be sure to post all about it here whenever I do! My Master of Fine Arts degree is from the University of Texas at Arlington. I did an independent study on bookbinding, and the rest is history!
I have a Print Shop and was googling different types of binding that we can offer our customers.. Saw your site.. WOW!! Love it!
Such creativity and it is so nice of you to also share.
I just completed my first blank book using the classic 4-hole stab binding and started browsing around for tutorials and information…and your was the first site to come up. And may I say: wow! I can see how easy it is to become addicted to this fascinating, elegant method of binding. I used Ikegami’s book _Japanese Book Binding_. I’m curious if you are experimenting much with different cover constructions?
Thanks, Chris! I have Ikegami’s book too. I admit though that I was kind of disappointed after going through it. :) Which was why I started to experiment with my own binds. As far as covers go, I’ve used a few different methods, with thin paper and bookboard. But for now I’m more interested in the design of the actual bind.
Hi Becca,
I’m from Holland and I’m so glad I found your site! Just tryed the ‘Tornados’ pattern. So beautiful. I had some dificulties with the scale but finally I succeed. I’m gonne make a drawingbook for a friend of mine with the ‘Tornados’ binding. When it’s finished I will send you a picture of it.
Thank you very much for sharing!
Bye for now.
Ineke Hooghuis
Hi, Becca:
I just randomly found your blog after doing a lot of searching about Japanese stab-stitch. Have a quick question, and I thought maybe you could help: I want to make a 8.5 x 11 book. I don’t have access to a printer for extra large paper so I think I have to loose-bind the book, which is why I’m considering the stab-stitch. I think it would work to loose-bind pages instead of using signatures. Anyway, my question is whether or not you can use a hard (binder’s board) type of cover with Japanese stab-stitch. I can’t tell if the cover has to crease when opened. I’m ordering materials and I don’t know if I should go with a bendable cardstock cover or if I can use a board. Thoughts?
Thanks!
Jenica
Hi there,
Im a graphic design student and LOVE your experiments with Japanese stab binding!! I would love to try and come up with some of my own designs but don’t know where to start! Is there a certain number of holes/places that the holes need to be in order for the pages to be secure? Would love to know your process so I can have a go too! So inspiring :)
Claire
Hi Becca, I love your site there is so much here i am interested in!
You seem to know quite alot about JSB, your patterns are great! what thickness paper do you advise using for the pages and for the cover? because I dont know if i have been using the wrong types, but i was put off this particular binding because you cant open the book flat? Maybe its just me i dunno, but id love to hear your advise :)
And im going to go and get the Vol 2 of Keith’s books next week! Thanks for all your info on here its great x
Becky :)
Becky,
I KNEW I was forgetting something in my ‘theory of JSB’ post! I’ll update that post soon. In the meantime…JSB works best on landscape-oriented books, not portrait. This bind won’t ever lay completely flat, but if it is long enough, it should at least stay open.
The paper should be on the thinner side… too much more than 24lb weight (normal copy/printer paper) and it will be tough to turn pages.
Hey, I really like your blog and the tutorials you’ve posted on stab binding and I was wondering if you had a tutorial on the star binding you did a few months ago. Id really like to use it for an upcoming project.
-evan
Happy new year, I nominated YOU for a Liebster Award because I like your blog! Part of the award is for you to nominate eleven other bloggers with fewer than 200 followers, to answer eleven questions, and ask eleven more…
See here for details. http://whippetpost.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/the-dog-ate-my-homework-2/
All the best, Christopher
Hey Becca my name is Taylor Cornelius, I am 22 and attend Georgia State University. I am currently enrolled in a book making class and our first project was to create 2 books using the Japanese Stab bind method. I found your website while looking for interesting binds and your step by step method worked great for me. All of my classmates have now been visiting your website looking for bindings. I would like to send you some photos of how they turned out. Could I possibly get your email address to send you them? Thanks a lot for sharing.
Hi Becca!
Your blog is so inspiring! I’m a graphic design student, and for an independent study class, I am making a book, which will be a timeline of a section of my early family history. Since it will be my first book and I don’t have much time, I was looking for something simple to start with, and I came upon your “japanese ledger binding” (as your professor called it), but I can’t find any other examples or tutorials on this. Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks a lot!
Hey Aimee!
You know, I’ve looked for other examples myself, and I’m not sure I ever found any. Maybe the original was from an out of print book. I did actually draw a tutorial for this bind a couple of years ago…and you’ve just made me realize that I never posted it! It’s actually a very simple bind. I’ll upload it very soon!
HI Becca
I am writing a book about handmade books and would love to include some of your work, can you drop me an email so we can discuss… charlotte[dot]rivers[at]mac[dot]com
Hope to hear from you soon!
Charlotte
Hi Becca,
How are you?
I made two booklets with your Japanese stabbindings (tornados and kissing fish). It worked out very nice. The friends I made them for, were impressed! They loved it.
Now I’m planning to make another one with the butterfly binding. First I made a test of it and I’m not quit sure but is it possible there is a fault in the tutorial? I miss a part of the wing that goes from nr. 14 to nr 8 (or the other way round). I’ve read back the description a few times but I can’t find it.
Can you help me out?
Thanks in advance!
Wit love
Ineke (from Holland)
Hi Ineke!
Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond…you are completely right, there were two lines of instructions missing! I saw a picture of someone’s butterfly bind attempt, and she was missing that same section too. I’ve updated my post now to reflect the correction. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Hi Becca,
I’m very glad with your response. Thank you very much! I thought I figured it out myself by comparing it to the left side. But now I can compare it with your correction. Next week I’m gonna bind the booklet.
Have a nice weekend and thank you for your time!
Kind regards
Ineke
Hi Becca,
Have just been introduced to japanese binding through University, though only shown the basics and wanted to discover if their were more complex and interesting ways to do the JSB, so thank you for sharing your techniques, they are amazing!
I’ve tested out a handful of your tutorials with great results, there was one you didn’t have a tutorial for, however, had a go at attempting it myself though after trying several times, have had no luck… so I was wondering if you could help and possibly had a ‘Chinese fans’ tutorial?
Kind regards,
Cyna
Hi Cyna!
Thanks for your comments on my tutorials! As to the Chinese fans pattern, that was one of my first experiments and so doesn’t have a tutorial for it. I do hope to have tutorials for all of my patterns one day, though!
Dear Becca,
Could you please connect with me via my email address. I would to have a quiet conversation with you about using some of your Japanese Stab Binding Designs in a project and wish to know your rules around your copyright designs.
Thanks
Mary Kroetsch
Pingback: Tuto: encadernação japonesa, variações de costura de quatro pontos. | Oficina Trifolio
Hi Becca.
I’m just doing a small project with Japanese stab bindings and have produced a bunch of them, the majority of the patterns I’ve used are yours. Would it be ok for me to publish them on my Behance site and my own website (http://www.behance.net/StudioLoka) (http://studioloka.com/)? Patterns would be attributed to you. Please have a look, send me your email address and I’ll send you photos of them. Let me know, thank you for being a true inspiration :)
Jess
Hi Jess! Thanks so much! And yes, publishing images on your site is fine. I don’t mind if you sell on Etsy either…but I do greatly appreciate the tribute links! :)
Hi Becca,
I would very much like to send you some pphoto’s of booklets I’ve made with your Japanes bindings. But I couldn’t manage to upload them to your site. Can you please let me know how I can get them to you?
Ineke
Oh, fabulous! You can email them to bhirsbrunner (at) gmail (dot) com. Can’t wait to see! :)
Hi, a heads up. I just added your link to a blog post I wrote. I hope that’s alright.
Jody
Hey Becca!
Your bindings are awesome! I’m making a portfolio for my artwork and I thought that binding it together with string wound make it more appealing. Could you give me the instructions on how you created the third pattern from the bottom example out of the box? It’s my favorite!! Also is it possible to have a pattern on the outside of the book without having to bend the front of the book? I only want to attach two page pages by the center crease to create a folder.
Thanks so much,
Madelyn
Hi Madelyn,
Thanks! As for the pattern you mention, I’m unclear which you mean. On what post did you see it?
I also don’t understand what you mean by attaching two pages by the center crease. As far as having the stitch pattern without bending the book, the only way really to accomplish that is to use this bookboards with a gap, like Ruth (ruthbleakley.com) has done on this example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthbleakley/4686179905/in/set-72157624241528090. There are a number of video tutorials explaining how it is done.
Hope that helps. If you have other questions, shoot me an email at bhirsbrunner (at) gmail (dot) com.
Hi Becca – I have been working through the idea of making books from scratch and possibly selling them – but I’ve only been using your bindings! I was wondering if that’s okay, first off….and if there was a way to learn how to design my own – which books would you recommend, or would you say take a class…or both.
I will also link back to here :)
(books from scratch meaning handmade paper as well)
Hi Joy! It’s perfectly fine to sell books made with my patterns. I don’t ever intend to do so myself! If you do list them for sale, the link back to my blog would be great.
As far as books on how to do this style… there aren’t many out there that explain more than the absolute basic and traditional Japanese stab bind. As for classes, your local Uni might have a bookbinding class you could take. Otherwise, read my theory post, try more of my tutorials, and see if the underlying method starts to make sense. If you come up with a sketch or design you can’t seem to quite work out, send it to me via email and I’ll help you make it work. Hope that helps!
Excellent! thank you so much. I’ll do that – I understand the theory, but the working out of it…will take lots of practice. your patterns are great and I’m looking forward to playing with them!
Brilliant blog, very generous of you to share you beautiful stab binding designs. I send my students to your blog for inspiration. I recently used your marionette on a book. Is there anywhere I can send you a photo?
Thanks! Sure, that would be fabulous! Send photos to bhspalinger(at)gmail(dot)com.
I like your new ideas in bookbinding. Please add the pattern for elephants.
From Germany
That is great!! You really are a globally recognized artist! <3 :D
Great! Thank you, Becca!
Hello Becca,
I’d like to sell books made using your patterns too. I see you gave permission back in May 2015. Is this permission still valid in 2017 ? And may I eventually teach those during workshops with proper credits ? I’ll definitely link back to your inspiring blog anyway ! Please and thanks from France c:
Hey Vân,
Sorry for the late response, I had a baby the last week of July so as you can imagine, am quite behind on email from that time! Yes, permission to sell books sewn with my patterns is still valid, with credits greatly appreciated. I’m curious where you will be teaching workshops? I live in France as well, near Aix-en-Provence!
Hi Becca,
I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for your amazing tutorials. I’m a have-a-go-at-anything type craftsperson and I talked myself into a handmade book commission as a Christmas gift on behalf of a friend this year. Argh!! Having never done any serious bookbinding before, your tutorials saved the day. A beautiful marionette bind was perfect, and your crystal clear instructions made it so simple – but look mind blowing!
I’m babbling, but you know when you end up making something and have a “woah…I MADE that” moment? That wouldn’t have happened without your fully accessible tutorial. Making them this open is so very generous of you.
I couldn’t find a link anywhere or find you through a search, but do you have a Facebook page?
Thanks, Chloe! I don’t have a Facebook page for my work, just a personal page I don’t update frequently. I have a five month old who demands all my time at the moment!
Oh well that’s far more important and exciting, congratulations!
My friend now wants two more books for her other two neices, so I get to play with more binding designs. I can’t wait!
Becca, I love you blog. I can help you with your pattern book if you would like.
Becca your work is wonderful. It amazes mr how you create so many patterns. I am wondering how I can figure out the hole placement for using your tutorials my my size binding. I always just halve 8.5 by 11 paper for my books but am not sure of how far apart to put the holes. Thanks, Laura
Hi Laura, I try to have a minimum of 1/8″ or 3mm between holes to keep them from ripping into one large one while sewing, but they can be spaced out much further than that. The binds that I post on this blog are generally between 5.5-6.5″ long, 6″ being the most common. I confess I don’t particularly like the math, so I do a rough sketch of my pattern in pencil, then I make the hole pattern in Illustrator with everything perfectly spaced by a click of a button!
Just wanted to thank you for sharing your amazing works and posting tutos. I had a go at two of your Japanese binding patterns (marionette and snake eye – I changed a bit the latter) for two photos books. It worked out very nicely after some little challenges. Best regards.
I’m in process of making a JSB book, that will hold horror paintings, and I want to do a JSB that’s weird, or even creepy. Have you any suggestions? As I’m in awe at your work.
My JSB #8 post has a bind called web, and there are several other asymmetrical spiky designs that could work. I just realized I never produced a sketch I made called ‘beetles’. I don’t really lean towards scary stuff though, sorry!